A/N: This is one of my entries for Round 9 of the Houses competition
House: Ravenclaw
Category: short
Prompt: Chocolate
Word Count: 1558
"Have you got your chocolate yet?" was all that was whispered amongst the Hogwarts students at breakfast that morning, and the morning before, and the morning before that.
For a few days now, small chocolates, wrapped in gold foil, displaying a monster, had been appearing underneath the pillows; when you ate one gold calligraphy became visible as if it was being written right in front of you, displaying a letter.
Dear recipient,
It is my honour to invite you to attend the Halloween party of the year, taking place at The Three-Broomsticks, Halloween night. Get your Honeydukes sugar fix for free! And be ready for the fright of your life, when witnessing the monster room! Note: this is invite only so please bring only yourself and a smile, we'll know if there are gate crashers, and be prepared for a terrifyingly terrific night!
Don't forget your costume. The code words are "Fizzing Whizzbee", tell Madam Rosmerta at the bar and she'll point you in the right direction.
-D
It seems everyone, invite or no invite, was trying to work out who this mysterious "D" was. Fred and George Weasley were consulted many a time by teacher and student alike if it was them, to which they replied with, "Nah, not us, but whoever it is is a genius! We'll be there though," they continued as they held their golden wrappers aloft.
The talk slowly turned from who D was to who wasn't actually attending. As the time grew closer, it turned out only a few were left without an invite at the current standing.
Hermione Granger was one of them.
It was the Friday before the big party and as she got up, she routinely checked under her pillow as she had done for the last week and a half since the first chocolates started appearing.
Nothing.
Hermione sighed as she continued on with her classes for that day trying not to let the talk of the party get to her. It seemed people couldn't leave the topic alone, what they were going to wear, what they thought the "monster room" entailed, what else this "D" had in store for them. It was driving Hermione crazy. She wasn't sure whether it was the constant buzz about it or the pitying looks when her friends turned to her and realised she still didn't have an invite.
No Matter, Hermione thought to herself, Halloween is stupid anyway. Still, she couldn't help the yearning for that small foil-covered chocolate under her pillow each morning.
As she woke up the next morning, she looked down at the pillow, anticipating the drop of disappointment in her heart she was about to feel when she turned over the pillow.
But to her surprise, unlike every other morning, instead of bland white sheets staring back at her shone a small, gold foiled chocolate with the silhouette of a cat on it. Beside it written on a small piece of parchment were the words scrawled,
What, didn't think I'd forget about you, did you? -D
A blush crept on Hermione's face, not only was she invited, but she also had a note from whoever this D character was.
She quickly got up, unwrapped the chocolate and took a bite out of it, her eyes lighting up as the golden letters appeared in front of her. the taste of the chocolate, while plain at first seemed to change flavour into her favourite, salted caramel. She quickly scrawled down the address and hid it, as well as the note, from the other girls in the room, as they rushed over.
"You got one didn't you Granger, I knew it. I knew you'd get one!" Lavender Brown laughed, pleased to see Hermione holding the golden foil victoriously.
"I did, yeah," Hermione beamed, not letting on about the note she got as well. "Still not got one?" She asked Lavender.
Lavender's shoulders sagged a bit, and her smiled dimmed slightly, "not yet," she perked up again after, though. "There's still a week, one may come yet."
"True that," Hermione said. "You'll get one, I'm sure."
"Hopefully," Lavender replied. She then smiled at Hermione and left her in the room to ponder on why this "D" appeared to have singled her out.
Sure enough, over the next few days leading up to the party, Lavender received her invite. Biting into the chocolate, Hermione heard her sigh with delight, "Mint chocolate, my favourite."
After finding out Harry and Ron were also invited, the three trundled along to Hogsmeade the day before the party to grab some outfits.
Gladrags Wizardwear was teaming with Hogwarts students- all equally looking for something to wear to the party. Eventually, the three settled on their outfits: Harry, a vampire- a minor enchantment on the cloak he wore, made it looked like he could levitate. Ron, a Grim Reaper- with a hood that cast his face entirely in magical shadow when he raised it. And Hermione- a witch doctor, in her masked eyes flickered small green flames when the mask was pulled over her face and blue sparks flew off her staff occasionally.
While in the shop they bumped into Draco Malfoy, dressed as a pirate, he slammed into Hermione abruptly as they waited in the queue.
"Get out of my way, mudblood." Draco snapped. Both Ron and Harry bristled at the words, and Hermione placed a hand on the shoulders of the boys, trying to defuse the situation.
Thinking that was their cue to leave, the three paid for their items and left the shop, Ron cursing the blond Slytherin boy, all the way back to Hogwarts.
It was then that Hermione felt the small chocolate with a note attached to it in her pocket. She opened it up.
Looking good -D
She tried to think of where she would have left her school robes while she got changed into the costumes she had tried on and who could have slipped the note into her pocket. She came up blank.
Finally, the night of the party arrived, Hermione got ready, applying shamanic facepaint under the mask she wore, getting dressed in the fake animal skins and necklaces, making her hair look even wilder than it did any other day.
She met Harry and Ron in the foyer to the castle, both their eyes widened in awe as she made her way down the staircase.
"Her...Hermione...Wow…" was all they could muster.
She smiled at them. "Come on, let's get going."
They walked down to Hogsmeade and into the three broomsticks without an issue, quickly uttering the password to Madam Rosmerta. They were led to a darkened side room, the chamber appeared to almost be able to grow, appearing a lot bigger from the inside than it did from the outside, inside looked to be half the school seemed to be standing there with drinks. To one corner stood, the monster room where various, mostly harmless creatures were being gawked at in amazement, Hermione smiled as it reminded her of the petting zoos she used to attend with her parents.
Music played around the room that was decorated with pumpkins, cobwebs, candles, and a faint red glow adding to the atmosphere. Buffet style, Halloween-themed food lined tables stood by the walls; as soon as plates were empty they seemed to refill themselves.
"This place is amazing!" Hermione shouted over the music to the boys, who nodded in agreement as they all looked around in wonder.
"I wonder who D is, he must be loaded to arrange all this," Ron shouted back.
"I guess we'll find out," Harry yelled into the ear of the other two.
The party continued most of the night. Hermione had fun, drinking weirdly coloured drinks, eating bizarre food, shaped like eyeballs and actual fingers, though tasting like cake-pops and finger sandwiches, facing her Boggart in a room, as well as playing with some Puffskeins with bat wings that floated above them. Apart from the boggart, Hermione had to admit she was having one of the best times of her life.
It was then that she realised another chocolate and note had found its way into her pocket.
You must be wondering who I am, you'll find out soon. Just know you're very special to me- D
And in all honesty, the thought hadn't left her alone- who was D? why did he make such a special effort with her? For the next hour, the thought stuck in the forefront of her mind. Suddenly, the music stopped and an announcement was made.
Goyle, dressed as a skeleton, stood in the centre of the dance floor on a chair and shouted,"Listen up, you all must be wondering who you have to thank for this awesome party tonight, who this mysterious D really is. So, without further ado, I welcome D into the middle of the room.
A gasp echoed around the room, Hermione stood on tiptoe, eager to see who it was.
Draco Malfoy sauntered forward, and Harry's, Ron's, and Hermione's mouth all crashed to the floor, along with Hermione's heart.
"Oh God," she muttered, Harry and Ron angrily turned to leave, angry they had been seemingly tricked to attend and enjoy a party for a Malfoy. Hermione followed but one thought stuck in her mind, Why was she so special to Draco Malfoy?